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Week of Thursday, August 28, 2003
City Rec to continue By TANESHA BLACKMON-FRENCH Despite pending layoffs and a reduction of services, the Ypsilanti Recreation Department is planning to continue operations through December with funding from grants, donations and community organizations. Shannon Stumbo Bellers, recreation director and assistant city manager, presented a report on the status of the recreation department to the Ypsilanti City Council Tuesday night. Bellers said that two of three fulltime employees at the recreation department will be laid off as of this Friday. Several other recreation workers have resigned due to pending lay-offs, she said. Currently, the department is seeking partnerships with organizations and businesses willing to fund recreation department activities like youth programs at Parkridge Community Center and programs at the senior citizen center. One donation of $1,920 will fund the employment of an aid at the senior citizen center for 15 hours a week through December. Bellers also commended senior Marguerite Eaglin for her fundraising efforts. Eaglin has raised $6,200 to keep the senior citizen center open since she learned of the city’s plan to cut funding to the senior citizen center. Eaglin, an active resident of Ypsilanti for over 60 years, believes that she will receive more donations from requests she has submitted, but asked the city for more time to get responses to the rest of her requests. She asked that the lay-off notices to key senior citizen center employees be rescinded until she receives responses regarding these proposed funds. The potential closing of Parkridge Community Center disturbed Eaglin as much as the potential closing of the senior center. "These are our future senior citizens. They have to have somewhere to go or they’ll be in trouble," she said. Eaglin also said that the senior citizen center is vital to the senior community and that many would deteriorate without someplace to go or activities for them. In other news, Cassandra Leath gave an emotional request on behalf of her brother Shelly Leath, who died in an apartment fire on July 20 while trying to rescue his nieces, she said. She asked the city to honor him by renaming a street in his honor. |
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